How to Make Nigerian Style Jollof Rice

Jollof rice is a spicy, traditional dish of West African origin. While it is prepared differently in various countries, this article outlines the steps of making Nigerian-style Jollof rice.

Ingredients

2 cups of rice
1 onion
1 red bell pepper / tatashe
500ml chopped tomatoes
100g tomato purée
2 scotch bonnet
100ml vegetable oil
Maggi
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon curry
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/4 teaspoon ginger
2 cups water or stock

Steps

1
Blend your tomatoes, scotch bonnet and tatashe together. Chop your onions and keep them aside.
2
Put your rice into a bowl and soak with hot water. Allow this to soak for 10-15 minutes. Then, wash with warm water and keep aside, or parboil your rice and wash. This is important as you will get rid of excess starch in the rice.
3
Put your oil in a pot and allow it to heat up.
4
Add your chopped onions and allow to fry, but be sure not to burn them.
5
Add your blended ingredients and purée and allow to fry, just until you get rid of the sour taste (about 10-15 minutes).
6
Add your maggi, garlic, ginger, curry, thyme and salt and mix together. Be careful with your maggi as you do not want it too salty (2 maggi cubes for a cup of rice). Add your stock or water, and mix too. Taste to adjust to any seasoning.
7
Pour your rice into the pot and mix together, making sure it is covered in the tomato sauce.
8
Cook on low medium heat. Check your rice after at least 10 minutes, using a wooden spatula to dip into the rice. This helps with getting the sauce to get the bottom of the pot, so that it does not start burning when the rice is not cooked.
9
Cook until soft. Do not overcook your rice or get your rice too soggy. When rice is soft, lower the heat and allow to simmer so the water will get completely dry.
10
Rice is ready to serve. Serve with fried plantain and your choice of meat, if desired.

Community Q&A

Question

What is Scotch bonnet?

Community Answer

Scotch bonnet is a type of Caribbean pepper. They are hot so, take caution!
Question

How do I make fried rice?

Community Answer

Check out the article on How to Make Fried Rice.
Question

Can I add carrots and cabbage?

Community Answer

Feel free to add carrot, but I would advise you not to add cabbage during the cooking process. You can add it afterwards when serving.
Question

When you make jollof rice, how many Maggi do we add to 2 or 3 cups of rice?

Federa

Community Answer

This is difficult to say as people have different salt tolerance levels. With two cups of rice however, 4 single cubed Maggi and no addition of actual salt should work.
Question

Can I add Scotch bonnet?

Federa

Community Answer

Yes, you are welcome to use a pepper that is more or less spicy (hot).